Author: Human Rights Watch

Last week, the Taliban in Afghanistan published outrageous new laws on “vice and virtue” that require women to completely cover their bodies, including their faces, in public at all times. In issuing the law, the Taliban claimed that women’s voices could lead to vice, referring to their voices as aurat (a term in Sharia, or […]

(New York) – The Chinese government persists in committing crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang while denying repression there, Human Rights Watch said today. Ahead of the two-year anniversary from August 31, 2022, when the United Nations human rights office’s damning report on Xinjiang was released, the UN high commissioner for human rights and UN […]

(Mexico City) – The Mexican Attorney General’s Office has failed to properly investigate allegations that soldiers shot and killed a 4-year-old girl in August 2022, Human Rights Watch said in a report, including visual evidence, published today. The report, “Who Killed Heidi Pérez?” details the serious omissions and errors committed by prosecutors leading the investigation. The Attorney General’s […]

Ahead of the upcoming school year, local authorities and politicians in Lebanon are seeking to impose discriminatory restrictions that could result in tens of thousands of refugee children being denied their right to education. On July 8, Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea wrote on social media that the Education Ministry must require all students […]

Last week, Philippine government censors put an X rating on a documentary film about the enforced disappearance of a peasant activist, effectively banning the movie from public showing. The filmmakers said that the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board ruled that their film, “Alipato at Muog” (Flying Embers and a Fortress), “tends to undermine the faith and […]

(Geneva) – The Bangladesh interim government should seek a resolution at the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an independent mechanism to investigate and pursue accountability for recent grave abuses in Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and other interim government officials that was […]

The Sri Lankan government has been trying to persuade international partners of its achievements in reforming the economy and protecting human rights.  However, a new report by the United Nations high commissioner for human rights warns that Sri Lanka is facing renewed threats to fundamental freedoms. It finds that authorities have sought new repressive laws and engaged […]

(Nairobi) – Cameroon’s authorities and security forces forcibly disappeared Ramon Cotta, a social media activist, and apparently tortured him, Human Rights Watch said today. Cotta, born Yves Kibouy Bershu, has been living in Gabon for the past 10 years, where he also went by the name of Steve Akam. He is known for his TikTok videos in […]

Ukraine is taking key steps toward becoming a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a milestone in advancing global justice. This comes after years of campaigning by national and international human rights groups. The Ukrainian government should ensure that membership moves forward, while dropping a limitation in the law that risks shielding war criminals. On […]

Authorities in Kazakhstan are misusing extremism and terrorism legislation to target peaceful government critics and others, in violation of international human rights law. People convicted on overbroad extremism and terrorism charges – even those who have not participated in, instigated, or financed violence – are automatically subject to wide-ranging financial restrictions that interfere with their […]